At a venue bound to be enshrined as one of the Olympics' most spectacular, Australia's ace beach volleyballers Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy have been inspired to make a towering start to their golden bid in Paris.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The pair who won silver in Tokyo three years ago and are fancied to make another big push for gold this year, reckon that playing next to the foot of the Eiffel Tower could hardly have been more exhilarating.
And even on this damp miserable Paris day, the fantastic setting was enough to bring the best out of the 14th-seeded duo as they won their key opening match against China's Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia, the 11th seeds, in a close-run affair.
Going right down to the wire in three sets, the Australians held their nerve best to finally prevail in the final stanza after having two match points repelled, eventually triumphing 22-20 14-21 16-14.
"It's incredible. Honestly, you can't beat it," enthused Clancy after playing in front of a cheering full-house.
"I am more than happy to tell all the other sports... yup, we definitely got the best venue."
The win made it feel even better, especially after the Chinese duo had appeared ready to take complete control after dominating the second set.
"We sat there after the second set and we had to stay patient, we had to trust," said Clancy. "It was nice we were able to bring it back, get back on track and bring that aggression in the third set."
Ultimately, the Australians retained their composure better in the dying seconds to eke out a crucial win before they tackle old American rivals Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss in their next match.
Earlier on Saturday, the Australian men's pair of Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher lost 21-14 21-19 to the Swedish pair of David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig.
Australian Associated Press
